Overwatch is Blizzard’s first new IP in 19 years and is a multiplayer FPS that pits two teams of 6 against each other in short, objective-based modes. The game is releasing for next-gen consoles and PC, and will launch with 4 multiplayer modes: 3 asymmetrical (one team attacks, one team defends) and 1 symmetrical (king of the hill). 21 heroes will be available at launch, each having unique abilities to choose from and fitting a specific role: Offense, Defense, Support, and Tank. Heroes have 2-3 abilities and an ultimate, which is charged up by doing damage to enemy heroes (it also charges up slowly over time). All abilities function on a cooldown and do not cost any resources to use, so you are free to use your abilities whenever they are off cooldown. There is also no ammo to pick up or run out of. You do have to reload when your clip runs out, but you have an unlimited supply of ammo. This helps focus the players on playing the objective rather than rationing their ammo during intense firefights.

What makes Overwatch unique is its hero selection and switching mechanic. There is no limit to the number of duplicate heroes in a match, so 6v6 Winston matches are possible and, in fact, highly recommended! Not only that, but a core mechanic of Overwatch is the ability to switch heroes in the middle of a game. This allows teams to change tactics on the fly as a match is progressing, and often a change in team composition can be the impetus for breaking through a defending team’s chokepoint or halting an attacking team’s push!

Attackers have to capture point A, which the defenders must defend. If point A is captured, the defenders fall back to point B and the attackers get a time extension. If point B is captured, the attackers win. If time runs out, the defenders win.

Temple of Anubis (Egypt)Hanamura (Japan)Volskaya Industries (Russia)

Attackers must escort a payload from the beginning of the map to the end. The payload only moves when attackers are nearby; it stops moving as soon as a defender stands near it. Each map has a number of checkpoints that give the attackers a time extension. If the clock reaches zero, the defenders win.

A combination of the Assault and Escort modes. The attacking team must capture a point that is protected by the defending team. If the point is captured, a payload is spawned and must be escorted to the end of the map. Time is extended upon point capture and upon the payload reaching checkpoints within the map.

The only symmetrical mode in Overwatch. Two teams fight to control a central location on the map. Once it is captured, it slowly ticks up from 0 to 100 for the team that holds it. Whichever team reaches 100 first wins the round. Each map has 3 different rounds set in different areas of the map, and the mode is best of 3.

Lijiang Tower (China)Ilios (Greece)Nepal

Heroes are separated into 4 categories, but you will likely see all kinds of heroes in all kinds of matches. In other words, don’t be surprised to see defense heroes on offense, and offense heroes on defense. Overwatch is designed first and foremost around its heroes, and the interplay between them is what creates the most hectic and fun situations in the game! Certain heroes will also speak to each other in-game, revealing their personal histories and the lore of the Overwatch universe as you play!

All future heroes will be free to everyone who owns the game.

As you play games you earn XP, which is applied to your profile after every game. You earn 4 XP for every second you are active in a game, as well as an XP bonus for the highest medal earned in a match. A gold medal is worth 150 XP, a silver medal is worth 100 XP, and a bronze medal is worth 50 XP. If you receive multiple medals, you will only get an XP bonus for the highest medal earned. For example, if you earned 3 gold medals, 1 silver medal, and 1 bronze medal, you will only receive an XP bonus of 150 XP. You also receive a 500 XP bonus if you win a match, a 250 XP bonus if you lose a match, a 200 XP bonus if you complete consecutive games in the same lobby, a 1,500 XP bonus for your first win of the day, and a 20% multiplier to all XP gained in a match if you’re grouped up with friends. You do not gain any XP if you quit a match before it ends. In fact, leaving games prematurely will result in a severe penalty in XP gained from future matches.

Every time your profile levels up, you unlock a loot box which contains 4 random cosmetic items. These can include skins, voice lines, sprays, victory poses, profile images, and Play of the Game intros. In typical Blizzard fashion there are rarity tiers for each cosmetic item, which range from common (white) to legendary (orange). You can also sometimes get credits in a loot box, either as its own drop or as the result of a duplicate item. Credits can be used to purchase any cosmetic item for any character, and prices for items vary based on rarity. At the high end, you will need 1,000 credits to purchase a legendary skin.

At low levels, leveling up is quick. The amount of XP required to level up increases until you hit level 23, at which point it remains constant until you hit level 100. You will receive a new portrait frame every 10 levels. At level 100 you are “promoted,” which gives you a new portrait frame theme, resets your level, and resets the XP required to level up. Your cosmetic items are never reset. Overwatch also has achievements, which can be earned for performing various tasks in-game. Certain achievements will unlock general and hero-specific sprays that can be equipped.

Q: Is this a MOBA?A: No.

Q: Are you sure?A: Yes. It is an objective-based FPS. There are no lanes or minions or towers or leveling up or item builds. You pick a hero, you attack/defend the objective, and that’s all there is to it. The complexity and strategy comes from the interplay between heroes and their abilities, rather than a MOBA’s typically complicated game mechanics.

Q: What are some good beginner heroes to try?A: Soldier: 76 is a good hero to start with. He plays pretty much exactly like every military shooter out there (left click shoot, shift sprint, right click rocket, aimbot ultimate) and he even has a self-heal. Reinhardt is a good tank to start with as well, since you can help your team simply by throwing up your shield and staying around the objective. On the defensive side, give Torbjörn a shot. He drops a turret which can defend objectives and can provide armor packs to help his teammates. Finally, on support, Lúcio has an always-on AOE heal and high mobility, so he’s a good place to start if you don’t feel comfortable choosing a dedicated healer.

Q: Do you have any tips for a new player?A: You would be surprised how many people fight near the objective but don’t physically get close enough to move/stop/capture the objective. If you don’t play the objective, you will lose. This is not a team deathmatch; your 20 killstreak is pointless in and of itself. If you camp an attacking team’s spawn for the entire match, but one attacker slips through and stands on the payload, you can lose the game. Conversely, if you spend the entire game chasing the defending team all over the map without physically getting on the objective, you will lose once the clock runs down to zero. It’s also worth noting that the objective captures/moves faster with more players on it, up to a limit of 3 players. So if you see 3 teammates on the objective, feel free to stand a little bit further and protect flanking routes.

Q: Play the objective, got it. Any other tips?A: Don’t be afraid to switch heroes mid-game if you’re not doing too well. All heroes have hard counters, and you’re expected to adapt your hero choices on the fly if a game isn’t going your way. For example, if there’s a Genji on the other team that’s eating your lunch, consider switching to Mei. He can’t reflect her endothermic blaster (it’s a beam weapon), her wall limits his ability to use his dash as an escape, and her cryo-freeze can protect her from his burst damage when she’s at low health. Learn each hero’s counters and you’ll become a much better player!

Q: Cool, hero switching is important. Anything else?A: Stick with your team and avoid pushing/defending objectives solo. There is no wave spawning in this game so if you and your teammates die at separate times, you will spawn at separate times. Avoid running back into the fight solo because more than likely you’ll get killed immediately. Wait for your team, group up, and go in as one unit. That will increase your likelihood of success!

Q: Is there a Season Pass?A: No. Blizzard has announced that all future maps and heroes will be free and available to everyone who owns Overwatch.

Q: Will my unlocks from the Open Beta carry over?A: No. Everything will be wiped before the game’s launch.

Q: Are there microtransactions?A: You cannot directly buy skins or poses or other cosmetic items, but Blizzard has stated that they will implement a system that allows players to buy loot boxes with cash. These are the same loot boxes you get for playing games and leveling up, which contain a random assortment of cosmetic items. If you really want a particular skin, you can either level up normally until you eventually get the skin in a loot box, or you can buy loot boxes with cash until you unlock the skin in a box.

Q: WHY IS BASTION SO OVERPOWERED??!!

Q: OK FINE BUT WHAT ABOUT TORBJÖRN??!!A: Again, not an overpowered hero, but tough to deal with when you first play against him. Take out his turret ASAP, preferably from a distance. Or have a tank rush his turret and focus its attention while the rest of your team focuses it down. A Reinhardt or Winston shield can withstand enough of its damage for another teammate to take it out. Without his turret, Torbjörn isn’t a huge threat.

These are all little nitpicks and personal preferences, more than anything. It's very clear that Blizzard has put in a herculean effort into polishing Overwatch, making sure that it feels great to play, has basically no bugs or glitches, and has a solid amount of content.

Destructoid - 10/10

Truly, I believe that we'll be seeing a lot more of Overwatch in the years to come. Blizzard has a great track record when it comes to long-term support, and given how good it is out of the gate, it can only get better from here. Blizzard has truly snatched victory from the draws of defeat.

Game Informer - 10/10

As the clock winds down to zero, you backtrack in time to drop a perfect pulse bomb on the enemy position, blowing apart the greedy robot-turned-turret and his teammate, a slick sniper assassin who was too busy tracking her prey to notice your explosive gift. The game heads into overtime as the payload wagon rests mere inches away from the victory point, but your team has just been annihilated by an enormous magical dragon. Then you hear it: “Heroes never die!” As your one chance, your team’s Mercy hero activates her ultimate ability and brings your entire group back to life for one last stand. After Mei brings a scientifically sound winter to your opponents by freezing them, victory is yours. Moments like these define Overwatch, including amazing victories and last-second defeats. No matter what happens – win or lose – you’re going to have fun.

IGN - REVIEW IN PROGRESS - 9.4

While it’s rare that a multiplayer-centric game develops a sense of place, there are a bunch of other things that multiplayer games are roundly expected to do, and Overwatch mostly accomplishes them. It does a great job of identifying and surfacing good play to teammates and opponents, and provides steady stream of unlocks and progression, as well as a strong online experience that gets you into games quickly and reliably. We’ll dive a little deeper into those elements once I’ve had a little more time with this final release (as opposed to the beta), but for now, just know that Overwatch is an incredible achievement in multiplayer game design, and one of the best games of the year so far.

Forbes - 10/10

Yet here I am, wanting, no, needing to play Overwatch as much as humanly possible. Not to rank up. Not to grind for unlocks. But just because it’s fun.

GameSpot - 9/10

It's that intoxicating path of discovery that makes Overwatch so varied, so rewarding, and ultimately another seminal release from developer Blizzard. Overwatch is an intelligent cascade of disparate ideas, supporting one another, pouring into one another, and coiling around themselves as they flow into the brilliant shooter underneath.

Game Revolution - 4.5/5

Blizzard has always excelled at delivering enjoyable games with beautiful presentations, and Overwatch shows that it can extend this talent to genres that it’s never visited before. This might be its first shooter, but it has a remarkable fun factor that you would expect from only the most elite shooter-oriented developers.

Myself rich Tom and Pete are on Friday night for a proper session. So if you're around jump in.

I've probably only played a few hours but really enjoying it. So far the characters that have clicked for me are Soldier 77 and roadhog. Need to play it a fair bit more but i'm happy to play as these for now.

Good choices. Very solid characters to learn with, soldier 76 is probably the easier one, but if you can get that hook down with roadhogg he can be insane. Did you jump on MP vs humans or just try against AI?

If we are all on together on Anubis defending, we have to do that bastion/torbjorn combo behind a Reinhardt shield. That was funny as fuck.

I'm really enjoying it, but it's clearly meant to be played with a group. Hopping on for one or two on my own is fine, but I've not been able to stick at it for a proper session yet.

Tend to roll tanks at the moment. Reinhardt it there's a choke point, Winston if there are a couple of cheeky tight spots where the lightning gun is mental (or bottomless pits for his ultimate) and Zarnya in general situations.

Winston can be unreal with someone who can play him. Leaping in and out of battle, causes other team to crap themselves and focus attention on him. You just need a good team to follow up and take care of the enemies who are focusing on Winston.

I'm same as you when it comes to solo, although I usually just go genji/tracer as they are played as solo anyway. It's fine for practicing and learning maps, but it's a group game for sure.